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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Catch and Kill : Shadow Operatives Thriller 2 in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Catch and Kill – Shadow Operatives Thriller 2 by J. D. Lasica came recommended to me because of people comparing it to works by Michael Crichton. I am pleased to confirm that all the people comparing the two authors were correct. J. D. Lasica also informed me that I did not need to read the first book to understand this one and that turned out to be true as well. There are not many books that are part of a series that can also be read as a stand-alone. On that same note, this book was so good that I want to go back and read the first book as well.
Action packed right from the start, A woman by the name of Kaden is attacked in an attempted kidnapping at a celebration where she was originally a person of honor. After returning home and finding that it has also been broken into Kaden receives messages from a mysterious man called Bo. Bo wants her help in investigating The Disappearance, and reluctantly Kaden agrees. At the same time on Samana City, a place called Fantasy Live is doing its soft open, and Alex, a reporter for the Axom is doing an undercover story on it.
Fantasy Live uses augmented reality to bring the patron’s deepest fantasies to life, within reason. Alex finds out some disturbing information about Samana City and Fantasy Live and sends word back to Axom. As it turns out Kaden and Bo’s investigation is already leading them to Fantasy Live and they team up with some other Axom employees to infiltrate the island. Things do not go very smooth for them on Samana City. Kaden must trust in her teammates, both familiar and new if they hope to escape. In the process, they are going to try to bring the girls from The Disappearance home and save the world from a surprise bio-warfare that no one is prepared for, but the creator of Fantasy Live is ready to kill to make sure no one interferes.
What I liked best was that the plot line was well thought out. The plans of Incognito and Lucid were explained in a way that made them completely believable. While it does take place in the future the technology used is not that far from what we use every day now. Naturally, I did not like the idea of Lucid and Incognito being missing at the end. However, with this being only the second book in the series I have faith that they will be found. I still do not completely understand how The Disappearance was able to happen without anyone noticing something before it was too late.
Target readers for this book are adults. This is due to the content and topics surrounding sex, forced surrogacy, and human trafficking. People who enjoy action-packed thrillers in a slightly futuristic setting will enjoy this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because I got exactly what I was promised with this book. Each character clearly has their own personality that plays into how they respond to the situations presented. Everything was so believable that it was almost scary to think about how these events could actually happen.
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Action packed right from the start, A woman by the name of Kaden is attacked in an attempted kidnapping at a celebration where she was originally a person of honor. After returning home and finding that it has also been broken into Kaden receives messages from a mysterious man called Bo. Bo wants her help in investigating The Disappearance, and reluctantly Kaden agrees. At the same time on Samana City, a place called Fantasy Live is doing its soft open, and Alex, a reporter for the Axom is doing an undercover story on it.
Fantasy Live uses augmented reality to bring the patron’s deepest fantasies to life, within reason. Alex finds out some disturbing information about Samana City and Fantasy Live and sends word back to Axom. As it turns out Kaden and Bo’s investigation is already leading them to Fantasy Live and they team up with some other Axom employees to infiltrate the island. Things do not go very smooth for them on Samana City. Kaden must trust in her teammates, both familiar and new if they hope to escape. In the process, they are going to try to bring the girls from The Disappearance home and save the world from a surprise bio-warfare that no one is prepared for, but the creator of Fantasy Live is ready to kill to make sure no one interferes.
What I liked best was that the plot line was well thought out. The plans of Incognito and Lucid were explained in a way that made them completely believable. While it does take place in the future the technology used is not that far from what we use every day now. Naturally, I did not like the idea of Lucid and Incognito being missing at the end. However, with this being only the second book in the series I have faith that they will be found. I still do not completely understand how The Disappearance was able to happen without anyone noticing something before it was too late.
Target readers for this book are adults. This is due to the content and topics surrounding sex, forced surrogacy, and human trafficking. People who enjoy action-packed thrillers in a slightly futuristic setting will enjoy this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because I got exactly what I was promised with this book. Each character clearly has their own personality that plays into how they respond to the situations presented. Everything was so believable that it was almost scary to think about how these events could actually happen.
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Cassie Osbourne (6 KP) rated Alice (The Chronicles of Alice #1) in Books
Nov 9, 2018
'Alice' is a dark and twisted reimagining of Lewis Carrol's classic children's story 'Alice in Wonderland' in which Alice (after escaping from the asylum she has been imprisoned in for ten years) has to navigate to Old City with her friend Hatch to slay the Jabberwock. Now, I am a lover of all things dark and creepy in a book, and I have to say that Christina Henry's retelling did not disappoint! The tie-ins and references to the original story were very, very clever and I'm sure that I could have spotted more if I had read or been a fan of the classic.
The main protagonists, Alice and Hatcher, are so well developed (and I'm sure will only get more so in the sequel). Both have compelling backstories and challenges to overcome as the story unfolds and the information is leaked in small, tiny fragments as their memories resurface. I also really enjoyed the comments in italics which were not explicitly attributed to Alice's thoughts as it made her madness (whether real or perceived) to be even more present as part of her character. If you love a good villain as I do then, boy, is this book for you! Sinister antagonists and 'bosses' lurk around every corner to delight and terrify you. I have to say that Cheshire and the Catapiller were my favourite characters - I just loved how smug and manipulative they were. However, I do have to mention that after all the build-up that Henry gives the Walrus and the Rabbit, when we meet them it is, very sadly, a bit of an anti-climax and the Jabberwock (who was supposed to be the Big Bad in the novel), it seemed was defeated too quickly and simplistically. I didn't especially buy it and would have liked a full chapter of it as I thought that the Jabberwock was excellent when we did meet him, so I just wanted a bit more time between him and Alice.
The atmosphere and overall writing-style in the book were both strong. As mentioned previously, everything was dark and strange (and strangeness is something that you would expect in a retelling of 'Alice in Wonderland'). I think the chapters in the Butterfly were well described and felt very real. Those chapters and the chapters in Cheshire's office were my favourites.
Regarding enjoyment and intrigue, there's nothing much to add apart from how much I utterly loved it and was gripped by the adventures. Every single chapter ended with a very Dicken's style cliffhanger, making the book almost impossible to put down and break away from the world that Henry creates. I finished it in pretty much one day, only stopping two chapters before the end because it was 1 am, and I had to be awake for work at 7 am so needed to get some sleep. Every chapter left me with the same thought - "f*** me, this book is good", and that is not a feeling that I've had while reading a book for a very, very long time. For all the lovers of dark tales out there, this is the book for you.
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 10/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
The main protagonists, Alice and Hatcher, are so well developed (and I'm sure will only get more so in the sequel). Both have compelling backstories and challenges to overcome as the story unfolds and the information is leaked in small, tiny fragments as their memories resurface. I also really enjoyed the comments in italics which were not explicitly attributed to Alice's thoughts as it made her madness (whether real or perceived) to be even more present as part of her character. If you love a good villain as I do then, boy, is this book for you! Sinister antagonists and 'bosses' lurk around every corner to delight and terrify you. I have to say that Cheshire and the Catapiller were my favourite characters - I just loved how smug and manipulative they were. However, I do have to mention that after all the build-up that Henry gives the Walrus and the Rabbit, when we meet them it is, very sadly, a bit of an anti-climax and the Jabberwock (who was supposed to be the Big Bad in the novel), it seemed was defeated too quickly and simplistically. I didn't especially buy it and would have liked a full chapter of it as I thought that the Jabberwock was excellent when we did meet him, so I just wanted a bit more time between him and Alice.
The atmosphere and overall writing-style in the book were both strong. As mentioned previously, everything was dark and strange (and strangeness is something that you would expect in a retelling of 'Alice in Wonderland'). I think the chapters in the Butterfly were well described and felt very real. Those chapters and the chapters in Cheshire's office were my favourites.
Regarding enjoyment and intrigue, there's nothing much to add apart from how much I utterly loved it and was gripped by the adventures. Every single chapter ended with a very Dicken's style cliffhanger, making the book almost impossible to put down and break away from the world that Henry creates. I finished it in pretty much one day, only stopping two chapters before the end because it was 1 am, and I had to be awake for work at 7 am so needed to get some sleep. Every chapter left me with the same thought - "f*** me, this book is good", and that is not a feeling that I've had while reading a book for a very, very long time. For all the lovers of dark tales out there, this is the book for you.
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 10/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated They Almost Always Come Home in Books
Apr 27, 2018
They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781426702389
Rating: DNF, 3
Greg goes on a trip into the Canadian wilderness—and never comes home. But Libby was thinking about leaving him anyway… so should she care that he's missing? Should she find him? Libby sets off with her best friend and her step-dad on a journey to find Greg. But for Libby, the journey is more than to find her husband. It's a journey of faith.
They Almost Always Come Home had potential to be amazing. Maybe the ending was amazing… but I didn't get that far. The plot was great—there were a lot of different things woven together to make it complex. It was more than "husband is gone, wife isn't sure if she wants him back but she goes to find him anyway." There is a lot of complexity to the situation, and a lot of background to see how Libby got to where she is now. It was good, and I liked it. It didn't move fast enough for me, but it was still good and I liked it.
However, other aspects of the book took away from the story line, and the main one was the writing. I feel like I have more to say about the writing than anything when it comes to They Almost Always Come Home.
This book reads rather depressing. As I read it, I can hear the voice of the character in my head, feeling tired and broken and uncaring and bitter, and it's very emotionally demanding to read. Since the character is going through so much, I can understand why that is: that's how she feels, that's how you are supposed to feel. It certainly isn't a sit-by-the-beach-with-sweet-tea kind of book.
Also, occasionally (as in the case with every Meg Cabot book I've ever read) an individual has a great original idea for a novel. What they should have done, would be to find someone who could write well and let them write the story, and co-author it. But no, they insist on writing it themselves, even though they can't write. Sadly, this is the case with They Almost Always Come Home. In some cases the mediocrity of the writing doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book, but in this case, it got to the point where it wore me out and aggravated me, and I had to put it down. After this happened several times, I never ended up picking it back up. The writing was made up of poor sentence structure, and the sentences that were actually sentences weren't organized very well. The interior monologue of Libby's thought-life was even less organized. Yes, I understand that our thoughts are not perfectly organized like Dostoevsky's dialogue, but Libby's mind was just hard to follow.
The other thing that took away from the book was the main character, Libby. I didn't like her. Maybe if I'd gotten to the end and seen her change (because I just know she's got to change—why else would Ruchti write a story like this?) then I 'd like her. But as it were, I was rooting for Greg. Poor Greg who was stuck with her for twenty-five years, and who got out easy (at least that's the way it looked from where I stopped). I know that isn't the way I'm supposed to feel, but I kept thinking "Libby… honestly…(mutters to herself)…" how can you read a book about a character that you don't like?
Again, this book had a lot of potential. Sadly I didn't enjoy it enough to finish it. I give it three-stars for the good pacing at the beginning, and the tangible emotions of the character (who I didn't like…?).
Check out amazon (as of today, 17 five-star reviews) and goodreads for reviews of They Almost Always Come Home. You will see that I am in the minority.
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781426702389
Rating: DNF, 3
Greg goes on a trip into the Canadian wilderness—and never comes home. But Libby was thinking about leaving him anyway… so should she care that he's missing? Should she find him? Libby sets off with her best friend and her step-dad on a journey to find Greg. But for Libby, the journey is more than to find her husband. It's a journey of faith.
They Almost Always Come Home had potential to be amazing. Maybe the ending was amazing… but I didn't get that far. The plot was great—there were a lot of different things woven together to make it complex. It was more than "husband is gone, wife isn't sure if she wants him back but she goes to find him anyway." There is a lot of complexity to the situation, and a lot of background to see how Libby got to where she is now. It was good, and I liked it. It didn't move fast enough for me, but it was still good and I liked it.
However, other aspects of the book took away from the story line, and the main one was the writing. I feel like I have more to say about the writing than anything when it comes to They Almost Always Come Home.
This book reads rather depressing. As I read it, I can hear the voice of the character in my head, feeling tired and broken and uncaring and bitter, and it's very emotionally demanding to read. Since the character is going through so much, I can understand why that is: that's how she feels, that's how you are supposed to feel. It certainly isn't a sit-by-the-beach-with-sweet-tea kind of book.
Also, occasionally (as in the case with every Meg Cabot book I've ever read) an individual has a great original idea for a novel. What they should have done, would be to find someone who could write well and let them write the story, and co-author it. But no, they insist on writing it themselves, even though they can't write. Sadly, this is the case with They Almost Always Come Home. In some cases the mediocrity of the writing doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book, but in this case, it got to the point where it wore me out and aggravated me, and I had to put it down. After this happened several times, I never ended up picking it back up. The writing was made up of poor sentence structure, and the sentences that were actually sentences weren't organized very well. The interior monologue of Libby's thought-life was even less organized. Yes, I understand that our thoughts are not perfectly organized like Dostoevsky's dialogue, but Libby's mind was just hard to follow.
The other thing that took away from the book was the main character, Libby. I didn't like her. Maybe if I'd gotten to the end and seen her change (because I just know she's got to change—why else would Ruchti write a story like this?) then I 'd like her. But as it were, I was rooting for Greg. Poor Greg who was stuck with her for twenty-five years, and who got out easy (at least that's the way it looked from where I stopped). I know that isn't the way I'm supposed to feel, but I kept thinking "Libby… honestly…(mutters to herself)…" how can you read a book about a character that you don't like?
Again, this book had a lot of potential. Sadly I didn't enjoy it enough to finish it. I give it three-stars for the good pacing at the beginning, and the tangible emotions of the character (who I didn't like…?).
Check out amazon (as of today, 17 five-star reviews) and goodreads for reviews of They Almost Always Come Home. You will see that I am in the minority.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Eternal Soul in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2720127654">Eternal Soul</a> - ★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2720128155">Eternal Love</a> - Not Read Yet
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Book-Review-Banner-4.png?ssl=1&w=510"/>;
Eternal Soul by Karimah Colden was a mysterious and adventurous read for me. The author contacted me and the book seemed to have an interesting plot, so I said - yes, I would love to read it.
Reign is a very private person and keeps everything close to her heart. She is a descendant of powerful hoodoo magick and her family has some dark secrets.
One day, her father appears in her life, which happens very rarely. She can feel trouble and danger, and before she knows it, her world is full of magick and discovering herself again. The one thing that she always denied - her powers - will now be something she will have to embrace and live with.
I really liked Reign and how she was portrayed. There was great character development, which was something I really admired. I loved how she slowly was finding herself throughout the book and did what felt was the best decision for her at each time. I am not sure about the romance and the relationships she formed with both men. It all happened too fast, too unrealistic and too predictable. The book also had a lot of repetitiveness as well, especially in the many scenes when it came to fashion choices and Reign was standing in from of her closet. It felt like deja-vu every time I read about it.
<b>But I still enjoyed Eternal Soul a lot.</b>
Despite the deja-vu's, despite the grammar errors. It is a cute short-ish read and I loved finding out what happens next. I also have the second book of the series as well, and will definitely be reading it soon.
If you like something young-adult, with a bit of magic and self-discovery, and something new and different, go for it, and you might be surprised! Definitely worth giving it a chance!
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2720127654">Eternal Soul</a> - ★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2720128155">Eternal Love</a> - Not Read Yet
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Book-Review-Banner-4.png?ssl=1&w=510"/>;
Eternal Soul by Karimah Colden was a mysterious and adventurous read for me. The author contacted me and the book seemed to have an interesting plot, so I said - yes, I would love to read it.
Reign is a very private person and keeps everything close to her heart. She is a descendant of powerful hoodoo magick and her family has some dark secrets.
One day, her father appears in her life, which happens very rarely. She can feel trouble and danger, and before she knows it, her world is full of magick and discovering herself again. The one thing that she always denied - her powers - will now be something she will have to embrace and live with.
I really liked Reign and how she was portrayed. There was great character development, which was something I really admired. I loved how she slowly was finding herself throughout the book and did what felt was the best decision for her at each time. I am not sure about the romance and the relationships she formed with both men. It all happened too fast, too unrealistic and too predictable. The book also had a lot of repetitiveness as well, especially in the many scenes when it came to fashion choices and Reign was standing in from of her closet. It felt like deja-vu every time I read about it.
<b>But I still enjoyed Eternal Soul a lot.</b>
Despite the deja-vu's, despite the grammar errors. It is a cute short-ish read and I loved finding out what happens next. I also have the second book of the series as well, and will definitely be reading it soon.
If you like something young-adult, with a bit of magic and self-discovery, and something new and different, go for it, and you might be surprised! Definitely worth giving it a chance!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Debbiereadsbook (1424 KP) rated Lionhearts: Part Two Box Set in Books
Mar 21, 2019
nice easy reads.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of these books.
Into The Arena
Cesare has been banished from his pride after his uncle cheated in a leadership fight. Finding work on a food truck headed from a for set seemed too good to be true. Finding Hayden as the star AND his fated mate, made Cesare think that maybe he wasn't supposed to win the fight at all. But Hayden has a stalker, and things turn deadly. Can Cesare keep his human mate safe, and will Hayden accept Cesare's lion half?
This is book 4 in the Lionhearts series and I have not read the other books. I did not feel I was missing anything, and so will say these are stand alones, with interconnecting characters, rather than a follow on series.
I liked this one. It did not blow me away, but right now, personally, this was JUST what I needed to read.
It's well told, with both Cesare and Hayden having a say. There is enough history for each of them, but not enough to be overwhelming in a short book. Well, I say SHORT, but it's still 176 pages! Didn't feel like it though!
I loved that we got some of the stalker too! They have their say in a couple of places, and I do love getting into the mind of the baddie! Did NOT see who that might have been, or rather, I had an idea, but was way off base.
It's quite sexy. There is a scene with Hayden getting down and dirty with his boyfriend BEFORE he and Cesare meet. Then Hayden and Cesare get down to it really quickly after meeting! Not sure how I feel about the first, but loved the second.
Nice easy read, and just the thing to pass a wet sunday afternoon, while nursing a very real hangover!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Pride Under Fire
Book 5 in the Lionheart series, and there is a pop up from Cesare and Hayden (book 4) which was nice!
Connor punched his commanding officer, and is shifted out to a town in the middle of nowhere, that needs a full time fire fighter. Andy is a detective in said town. Andy is human, Connor is not. Can Connor keep his mate safe, while the town burns around them?
Again, an easy read, that was just what I needed!
Connor knows he did wrong, punching his superior, but he won't apologise. Being shipped out was probably the best thing that happened to him, since he meets his mate. But Andy is human and lions don't mate with humans, do they?When there are several fires in town, in abandoned buildings, both Connor and Andy have to investigate. Then the bodies start piling up, and they know the arsonist has to be stopped , and soon.
There were several throw away comments that made me put the clues together for who the arsonist was very early on, and it was great to see it unfold the way I thought it would.
Again, the guys get down and dirty very early on, and I did like that here.
BUT
The general way the story goes is almost identical to book 4, Into The Arena. It's very VERY similar in that the human half gets taken, and the lion half comes to the rescue, mostly in the same way too!
Still, I did enjoy this as much as book 4, and I did read them back to back.
4 stars
Animal Passions
This is book 6 and for ME, the weakest of the three I've read.
Here's why:
It follows an almost identical plot line to the other two. Human half has sex with *someone* then goes off and meets mate. Mate and human get down and dirty right quick (did not like that here!) danger threatens human, lion reveals himself. human is taken by *stalker/arsonist/psycho editor assistant* and lion comes to the rescue. the end.
So, I'm sorry, but no, this one did not work for me. I only gave it 3 stars because I DID finish it, and it was touch and go for a while.
Maybe if I had NOT read them back to back, this one would have worked better, but I did read them back to back, and this is how I feel. And I'm all about the book feelings.
Sorry!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Into The Arena
Cesare has been banished from his pride after his uncle cheated in a leadership fight. Finding work on a food truck headed from a for set seemed too good to be true. Finding Hayden as the star AND his fated mate, made Cesare think that maybe he wasn't supposed to win the fight at all. But Hayden has a stalker, and things turn deadly. Can Cesare keep his human mate safe, and will Hayden accept Cesare's lion half?
This is book 4 in the Lionhearts series and I have not read the other books. I did not feel I was missing anything, and so will say these are stand alones, with interconnecting characters, rather than a follow on series.
I liked this one. It did not blow me away, but right now, personally, this was JUST what I needed to read.
It's well told, with both Cesare and Hayden having a say. There is enough history for each of them, but not enough to be overwhelming in a short book. Well, I say SHORT, but it's still 176 pages! Didn't feel like it though!
I loved that we got some of the stalker too! They have their say in a couple of places, and I do love getting into the mind of the baddie! Did NOT see who that might have been, or rather, I had an idea, but was way off base.
It's quite sexy. There is a scene with Hayden getting down and dirty with his boyfriend BEFORE he and Cesare meet. Then Hayden and Cesare get down to it really quickly after meeting! Not sure how I feel about the first, but loved the second.
Nice easy read, and just the thing to pass a wet sunday afternoon, while nursing a very real hangover!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Pride Under Fire
Book 5 in the Lionheart series, and there is a pop up from Cesare and Hayden (book 4) which was nice!
Connor punched his commanding officer, and is shifted out to a town in the middle of nowhere, that needs a full time fire fighter. Andy is a detective in said town. Andy is human, Connor is not. Can Connor keep his mate safe, while the town burns around them?
Again, an easy read, that was just what I needed!
Connor knows he did wrong, punching his superior, but he won't apologise. Being shipped out was probably the best thing that happened to him, since he meets his mate. But Andy is human and lions don't mate with humans, do they?When there are several fires in town, in abandoned buildings, both Connor and Andy have to investigate. Then the bodies start piling up, and they know the arsonist has to be stopped , and soon.
There were several throw away comments that made me put the clues together for who the arsonist was very early on, and it was great to see it unfold the way I thought it would.
Again, the guys get down and dirty very early on, and I did like that here.
BUT
The general way the story goes is almost identical to book 4, Into The Arena. It's very VERY similar in that the human half gets taken, and the lion half comes to the rescue, mostly in the same way too!
Still, I did enjoy this as much as book 4, and I did read them back to back.
4 stars
Animal Passions
This is book 6 and for ME, the weakest of the three I've read.
Here's why:
It follows an almost identical plot line to the other two. Human half has sex with *someone* then goes off and meets mate. Mate and human get down and dirty right quick (did not like that here!) danger threatens human, lion reveals himself. human is taken by *stalker/arsonist/psycho editor assistant* and lion comes to the rescue. the end.
So, I'm sorry, but no, this one did not work for me. I only gave it 3 stars because I DID finish it, and it was touch and go for a while.
Maybe if I had NOT read them back to back, this one would have worked better, but I did read them back to back, and this is how I feel. And I'm all about the book feelings.
Sorry!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Mighty Jack and the Goblin King in Books
May 9, 2018
Great MG graphic novel!
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King was a great graphic novel to read with the 9 year old. I picked it up while we were in the kid’s section looking for a book for her, and decided to get it for myself even though she showed no real interest. (Actually I might have picked up a few for me.) Anyways, one night she was a bit sickly, and joined me on the couch for a cuddle. I picked up the book, figuring we’d read a few pages and then be done. I could finish it after she went back to bed. We ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. (This isn’t exactly a thin graphic novel, either.)
This is a good ‘bedtime story’ book. There are a variety of different characters (but not too many) that are easy to give distinct voices to. Jack and Lilly are good contrasts to each other, and they’re just old enough that they’re moving past the point where boys/girls have cooties. Jack was a good kid, and on a mission to save his sister. Lilly was the one I really liked though. She was spunky and resourceful, and I feel like she was the more charismatic of the two characters. The book follows them for a while together, and then on separate missions that twine together at the end.
We have not read the first book in this series, but that did not affect our ability to enjoy Mighty Jack and the Goblin King. Hatke does a good job of making sure that he works in enough references to the first book that you get enough information to go on. This was an action-packed book that had a nice resolution. My child and I both want to see the adventures that Jack and Lilly (and maybe the sister?) get up to next.
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is well worth picking up if your child enjoys graphic novels. Especially so if you do too.
This is a good ‘bedtime story’ book. There are a variety of different characters (but not too many) that are easy to give distinct voices to. Jack and Lilly are good contrasts to each other, and they’re just old enough that they’re moving past the point where boys/girls have cooties. Jack was a good kid, and on a mission to save his sister. Lilly was the one I really liked though. She was spunky and resourceful, and I feel like she was the more charismatic of the two characters. The book follows them for a while together, and then on separate missions that twine together at the end.
We have not read the first book in this series, but that did not affect our ability to enjoy Mighty Jack and the Goblin King. Hatke does a good job of making sure that he works in enough references to the first book that you get enough information to go on. This was an action-packed book that had a nice resolution. My child and I both want to see the adventures that Jack and Lilly (and maybe the sister?) get up to next.
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is well worth picking up if your child enjoys graphic novels. Especially so if you do too.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Jul 9, 2020)
First up, the latest Coen Brothers effort, the slightly offputtingly titled The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I mean, it sounds like a working title at best, and doesn’t exactly draw you in. Oh, and it’s a Western, and Tim Blake Nelson sings in it – those Coen’s never did much care about box office, huh? And what’s more it is an anthology film; five or six short vignettes vaguely set in the same dusty landscape of pre industrial America.
I didn’t even know it was an anthology from the trailer, or poster. I thought the entire thing was about the crooning Blake Nelson, and as much as I love the Coen’s back catalogue, I wasn’t overly keen. Then the reviews, and a few Oscar nominations made me sit up a bit, feeling a bit silly that I had ever doubted the partnership that has offered the most consistently interesting off-kilter films of the last 40 years.
Immediately, I was struck by two things: a sense of a whimsical mood, and a breathtaking cinematography capturing a landscape. This was definitely a Coen film. I found myself enjoying the humour and inventiveness effortlessly. And then being surprised to find we were moving on to another story before even 15 minutes had passed!
A bit with James Franco and an unfortunate lynch mob / hanging situation; a wry piece about Tom Waits panning for gold and protecting his find; a more serious (and mood breakingly longer) piece about an unlikely love between a worldly wagon trainer and a naive young woman; and finally something like a Western ghost story as strangers talk inside a carriage heading to a mysterious location. And with a somewhat anti-climactic end… we were out. Did I miss something? Then it must have been forgettable.
I liked all the sections to degrees, and admired how they were all unique but dovetailed together well. There is certainly plenty to enjoy and even love in this strange experiment of a film. The Tom Waits section was my favourite, and the long wagon train section my least favourite, in simple terms.
However the overall impression is that it somehow isn’t quite fully there… something doesn’t hold it together as a complete film. It is hard to put your finger on it, but it is something to do with the story arc in terms of energy. It would maybe have been better served with a more upbeat climax. But who am I to question these guys?
Would I watch it again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone? With caution, yeah sure. Will I be adding it to any best of lists any time soon? Capagorically not. Enjoy it for what it is. Even watch each piece in isolation maybe. Look in wonder at how Joel and Ethan can still frame an image or capture a detail. And then let it fly away, as inconsequential as a dream.
I didn’t even know it was an anthology from the trailer, or poster. I thought the entire thing was about the crooning Blake Nelson, and as much as I love the Coen’s back catalogue, I wasn’t overly keen. Then the reviews, and a few Oscar nominations made me sit up a bit, feeling a bit silly that I had ever doubted the partnership that has offered the most consistently interesting off-kilter films of the last 40 years.
Immediately, I was struck by two things: a sense of a whimsical mood, and a breathtaking cinematography capturing a landscape. This was definitely a Coen film. I found myself enjoying the humour and inventiveness effortlessly. And then being surprised to find we were moving on to another story before even 15 minutes had passed!
A bit with James Franco and an unfortunate lynch mob / hanging situation; a wry piece about Tom Waits panning for gold and protecting his find; a more serious (and mood breakingly longer) piece about an unlikely love between a worldly wagon trainer and a naive young woman; and finally something like a Western ghost story as strangers talk inside a carriage heading to a mysterious location. And with a somewhat anti-climactic end… we were out. Did I miss something? Then it must have been forgettable.
I liked all the sections to degrees, and admired how they were all unique but dovetailed together well. There is certainly plenty to enjoy and even love in this strange experiment of a film. The Tom Waits section was my favourite, and the long wagon train section my least favourite, in simple terms.
However the overall impression is that it somehow isn’t quite fully there… something doesn’t hold it together as a complete film. It is hard to put your finger on it, but it is something to do with the story arc in terms of energy. It would maybe have been better served with a more upbeat climax. But who am I to question these guys?
Would I watch it again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone? With caution, yeah sure. Will I be adding it to any best of lists any time soon? Capagorically not. Enjoy it for what it is. Even watch each piece in isolation maybe. Look in wonder at how Joel and Ethan can still frame an image or capture a detail. And then let it fly away, as inconsequential as a dream.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Quiet Tenant in Books
Jun 4, 2023
This is a pretty good debut and one which I enjoyed.
This is a different interpretation of the 'abduction and kept prisoner' stories; it's told from the perspectives of Rachel (the captive), Cecilia (the daughter) and Emily (the bartender/love interest) but also with chapters told from the victims points of view which were particularly powerful and unsettling however, there is nothing from the killer, Aidan which I found unusual and I'm still not sure if I liked it as it did leave me with quite a lot of questions as to how and why he did what he did however, maybe that was the point?
Anyway, The Quiet Tenant is a dark story of survival in the most extreme of circumstances but it's also a story about a man who is able to project an image of goodness and normality whilst hiding who he really is from those closest to him and the small community in which he lives.
It's a bit of a slow-burner, there is a little too much description at times and there are bits that are a little beyond the realms of reality however, as you read, there is a creeping sense of tension and dread that had me hooked and desperate to know how it was all going to play out and I wasn't disappointed.
Overall, a pretty good read and I commend the author for writing a book that's not in her first language and thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK, Abacus and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Quiet Tenant.
This is a different interpretation of the 'abduction and kept prisoner' stories; it's told from the perspectives of Rachel (the captive), Cecilia (the daughter) and Emily (the bartender/love interest) but also with chapters told from the victims points of view which were particularly powerful and unsettling however, there is nothing from the killer, Aidan which I found unusual and I'm still not sure if I liked it as it did leave me with quite a lot of questions as to how and why he did what he did however, maybe that was the point?
Anyway, The Quiet Tenant is a dark story of survival in the most extreme of circumstances but it's also a story about a man who is able to project an image of goodness and normality whilst hiding who he really is from those closest to him and the small community in which he lives.
It's a bit of a slow-burner, there is a little too much description at times and there are bits that are a little beyond the realms of reality however, as you read, there is a creeping sense of tension and dread that had me hooked and desperate to know how it was all going to play out and I wasn't disappointed.
Overall, a pretty good read and I commend the author for writing a book that's not in her first language and thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK, Abacus and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Quiet Tenant.
Merissa (12827 KP) rated The Reluctant Savior (Etherya's Earth #4) in Books
Mar 21, 2022 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)
THE RELUCTANT SAVIOR is Evie and Kenden's story and is the fourth book in the Etherya's Earth series. Evie is Darkrip and Miranda's sister and one who suffered her father's attention in ways a child never should. Due to this, she fled to the human world and thinks herself beyond redemption. She didn't count on the Slayers though. With both Kenden and Miranda convinced there is good inside her, what will she do?
Now, I took some time to warm up to Evie. Not because she was evil. Nope, I liked that about her. What I didn't like was that she seemed so... blah about the possibility of having good in her. Now, I do realise that with her 'upbringing' thinking of having good inside her would be difficult, but it was like she dismissed it without even considering it. And when she has Darkrip as a brother, even discounting Miranda, then surely, SURELY it was worth consideration.
Anyway, it's a good job she had Kenden as he put up with her mood swings and challenged her too. He is as placid and scheming as ever, so the perfect foil for Evie! He doesn't like it when Evie out-schemes him but then takes pleasure in the fact she has outwitted him. He also makes sure he gets his own way mixed in with Evie's, even when she doesn't like not having it all her own way.
Now, as with all Rebecca Hefner books, you also get some added extras. Some we know from before, some we met briefly, and some we've only seen one side to. So happy for Nolan and Sadie, and I really hope I see more of them. One thing though - TALK TO EACH OTHER!! LOL But we also have Aron and Moira, plus another two I won't talk about! You can read that for yourself.
This novel finishes one part of the story arc whilst giving you a glimpse into the next. And boy, is it a doozy! I can't wait to continue this series and find out what's going to happen next.
Another jewel in the crown of this series and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 15, 2022
Now, I took some time to warm up to Evie. Not because she was evil. Nope, I liked that about her. What I didn't like was that she seemed so... blah about the possibility of having good in her. Now, I do realise that with her 'upbringing' thinking of having good inside her would be difficult, but it was like she dismissed it without even considering it. And when she has Darkrip as a brother, even discounting Miranda, then surely, SURELY it was worth consideration.
Anyway, it's a good job she had Kenden as he put up with her mood swings and challenged her too. He is as placid and scheming as ever, so the perfect foil for Evie! He doesn't like it when Evie out-schemes him but then takes pleasure in the fact she has outwitted him. He also makes sure he gets his own way mixed in with Evie's, even when she doesn't like not having it all her own way.
Now, as with all Rebecca Hefner books, you also get some added extras. Some we know from before, some we met briefly, and some we've only seen one side to. So happy for Nolan and Sadie, and I really hope I see more of them. One thing though - TALK TO EACH OTHER!! LOL But we also have Aron and Moira, plus another two I won't talk about! You can read that for yourself.
This novel finishes one part of the story arc whilst giving you a glimpse into the next. And boy, is it a doozy! I can't wait to continue this series and find out what's going to happen next.
Another jewel in the crown of this series and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 15, 2022
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated A Brand New Ending in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I really wanted to enjoy this book especially since I enjoy books that are set in an asylum. For the first half, I really enjoyed the book, but the second half read more like an erotica, and I just couldn't finish it once I got to about 71%.
After being abused by her step-father since 15, Phoenix attempts to kill herself after jumping off a bridge. She is placed in an asylum to make sure she gets better. There she meets Braeden and feels drawn to him. Braeden also feels drawn to Phoenix and doesn't know why.
I thought the title was an interesting one. It definitely caught my attention! I love it!
The cover is a bit bland, but it still caught my attention. The lost girl on the front is what I loved about it.
I think the world building would have been a lot better had there not been insta-love. Phoenix and Braeden instantly feel drawn to each other, and they're automatically in love. This really annoyed me! Also, if an aide in an asylum pursues a relationship with a patient, that aide could/would be fired for misconduct. However, Braeden never gets in trouble even though a lot of people know about him and Phoenix.
The pacing goes back and forth between being slow and decent. For the most part, it is decent, but there were a few bits where the pacing slows down a lot, especially as we keep getting told how much Braeden and Phoenix "love" each other. Their feelings for each other are mentioned a lot which I felt was quite redundant.
The plot of the damsel in distress and the knight in shining armor has been done before, and I liked the fact it was set in an asylum. I'm always intrigued by mental disorders and what not. That was the plot for the first half of the book. In the second half of the book, the plot just went to how much sex could Braeden and Phoenix have.
In the second half, all Braeden and Phoenix did was have sex...graphically!! I felt like I was reading a whole different book! I felt like this book went from a sweet contemporary romance to an erotica book! It seemed every other sentences was about them having sex or thinking sexual thoughts. This is what really put me off the book, so at 71%, during another erotic sex scene, I stopped reading. I don't do erotica books. I really wish I had known this book has very graphic sex scenes and a lot of them because then I wouldn't have even bothered wasting my time.
I couldn't really connect to the characters. I kind of liked Phoenix, but there was just something missing with her. I really couldn't feel anything emotionally when it came to her. I did at the beginning, but she just became sort of a dull character. Braeden just annoyed me for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that his swearing was over the top or that he abused his position of authority. He tried to hard to come across as a bad boy a lot of the time, and it just wasn't working. I did like Rain though, and I would've loved to hear more about her.
The dialogue wasn't working. There was way too much swearing, and most of it didn't feel natural. Braeden was the one who swore the most, and it was like every other word was the f word. Braeden's friends swore, Phoenix swore, the doctor/Braeden's father swore...practically every character mentioned in this book swore. With all the swearing, the majority of the dialogue felt very forced and very fake.
Overall, A Brand New Ending by S.A. Rolls just didn't do it for me. The dialogue felt too forced, and I felt like I had picked up an erotica novel even though it's not labelled as such. However, this book has got a lot of great reviews, so perhaps I'm just too much of a prude.
I'd only recommend this book to those who are 18+ who enjoy reading erotica.
<b>I'd give A Brand New Ending by S.A. Rolls a 1.5 out of 5. </b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I really wanted to enjoy this book especially since I enjoy books that are set in an asylum. For the first half, I really enjoyed the book, but the second half read more like an erotica, and I just couldn't finish it once I got to about 71%.
After being abused by her step-father since 15, Phoenix attempts to kill herself after jumping off a bridge. She is placed in an asylum to make sure she gets better. There she meets Braeden and feels drawn to him. Braeden also feels drawn to Phoenix and doesn't know why.
I thought the title was an interesting one. It definitely caught my attention! I love it!
The cover is a bit bland, but it still caught my attention. The lost girl on the front is what I loved about it.
I think the world building would have been a lot better had there not been insta-love. Phoenix and Braeden instantly feel drawn to each other, and they're automatically in love. This really annoyed me! Also, if an aide in an asylum pursues a relationship with a patient, that aide could/would be fired for misconduct. However, Braeden never gets in trouble even though a lot of people know about him and Phoenix.
The pacing goes back and forth between being slow and decent. For the most part, it is decent, but there were a few bits where the pacing slows down a lot, especially as we keep getting told how much Braeden and Phoenix "love" each other. Their feelings for each other are mentioned a lot which I felt was quite redundant.
The plot of the damsel in distress and the knight in shining armor has been done before, and I liked the fact it was set in an asylum. I'm always intrigued by mental disorders and what not. That was the plot for the first half of the book. In the second half of the book, the plot just went to how much sex could Braeden and Phoenix have.
In the second half, all Braeden and Phoenix did was have sex...graphically!! I felt like I was reading a whole different book! I felt like this book went from a sweet contemporary romance to an erotica book! It seemed every other sentences was about them having sex or thinking sexual thoughts. This is what really put me off the book, so at 71%, during another erotic sex scene, I stopped reading. I don't do erotica books. I really wish I had known this book has very graphic sex scenes and a lot of them because then I wouldn't have even bothered wasting my time.
I couldn't really connect to the characters. I kind of liked Phoenix, but there was just something missing with her. I really couldn't feel anything emotionally when it came to her. I did at the beginning, but she just became sort of a dull character. Braeden just annoyed me for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that his swearing was over the top or that he abused his position of authority. He tried to hard to come across as a bad boy a lot of the time, and it just wasn't working. I did like Rain though, and I would've loved to hear more about her.
The dialogue wasn't working. There was way too much swearing, and most of it didn't feel natural. Braeden was the one who swore the most, and it was like every other word was the f word. Braeden's friends swore, Phoenix swore, the doctor/Braeden's father swore...practically every character mentioned in this book swore. With all the swearing, the majority of the dialogue felt very forced and very fake.
Overall, A Brand New Ending by S.A. Rolls just didn't do it for me. The dialogue felt too forced, and I felt like I had picked up an erotica novel even though it's not labelled as such. However, this book has got a lot of great reviews, so perhaps I'm just too much of a prude.
I'd only recommend this book to those who are 18+ who enjoy reading erotica.
<b>I'd give A Brand New Ending by S.A. Rolls a 1.5 out of 5. </b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review).